


Eyes Forward (Don't Look Back)

by himynameisv



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [5]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry Allen Needs a Hug, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Canon Compliant - Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), Spoilers for Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29469918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himynameisv/pseuds/himynameisv
Summary: In which Earth-1 is one of the first to go in Crisis, and Barry and Oliver manage to carve out a sliver of time.FEBUWHUMP PROMPT #15: "RUN. DON'T LOOK BACK."
Relationships: Barry Allen & Oliver Queen
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142768
Kudos: 6
Collections: febuwhump 2021





	Eyes Forward (Don't Look Back)

"The Monitor - he sent me on a mission over the past year."

"What?" Barry breathed out, eyebrows furrowed.

There were screams all around them, people running, panicking. The feel of something _wrong_ coming that would incinerate them all. That had already destroyed Earth-2.

That would destroy theirs next.

Oliver put his hands on Barry's shoulders and forced him to look him in the eye. "We were able to build a weapon that has already served its purpose. But, it can also act as some kind of shield."

Barry must have still been in shock. "I don't understand."

"We - _I_ \- can temporarily stall the antimatter wave, but eventually, it will overcome the shield, and Earth-1 will be destroyed."

"But we can't let that happen! What about all these people?" Barry asked, gesturing wildly at all the chaos surrounding them.

And Oliver - well, Oliver looked stricken, heartbroken. He never looked like that, and it scared Barry, constricted his heart and lungs. "Extrapolators aren't working, Barr," he reminded him, voice raw. "We can't evacuate everyone - we can't save them all."

"But we can save some people, right?" Barry asked.

Oliver shook his head, moving his hands up to cup Barry's cheeks. "No time. It's _coming_."

"We have to try," Barry whispered.

Oliver smiled sadly, a film of tears covering his eyes. "And that's where you come in."

"What?" Somebody come, come and explain to him where all of this had come from, why life always insisted on beating him up over and over again.

"The device we built - it won't delay the wave for long. There will be just enough time for you to use your speed and escape, warn the other earths."

Barry shook his head. "No, no, nonono-"

"I know it's kind of dramatic to say this, but you're our only hope." He pulled Barry into a hug, and Barry wrapped his arms around him numbly, burying his face into his shoulder. _Give me more time,_ please _._ "I know - I know it's unfair to put this on you, but you need to go. Go to Earth-38. See Kara. Save the multiverse. _Live._ And, god, I know that's harder than dying but do it for me, okay? Do it for Iris and Cisco and Caitlin and Joe and Felicity. Do it for all of us."

He pressed his cheek into Barry's hair, and it actually felt kind of nice amidst his world falling apart. "Live, Barry. So that someone remembers us."

They broke apart, but Barry still had his hands on Oliver's shoulders, not wanting to stop the contact, to say goodbye. "I can take you with me," he said, numb. "I can - can take-"

Oliver shook his head sadly. "No time. Can't you feel it? The wave's already reached most of the planet - reached _us._ There's no time for the rest of us, but _you_ can make it."

"Why me?" Barry asked, the same question he had had since he was little and his mom had died.

Oliver quirked the corner of his lips up a bit. "You were given your speed for a reason."

And then he stepped away, picking up some sort of metal device from the ground and turning it on. Barry couldn't see it, but he could feel how the antimatter wave slowed as it reached them, slowed to give him just enough time to run away - escape.

Save the other earths.

"Thank you," he croaked out, "for being my friend."

Oliver turned towards him. "No, thank _you_ , Barry. Now run, and don't look back."

And so Barry turned and ran, ran so fast the sights and sounds blurred around him - the _world_ blurred around him. He ran and didn't turn to catch a last glimpse of his hero and friend.

He ran, as he always had.

(It used to be a comfort, but now it just felt unfair, like fate itself was closing in around him.)

He didn't look back.

He didn't think he could see much, anyways, with the tears clouding his vision.


End file.
